UPDATED: Linton home sustains heavy smoke damage; cause ruled as electrical

Linton fireman Lonnie Eberhardt works on a home in Linton on Thursday morning. (Greene County Daily World/Nick Schneider) [Order this photo]

Linton city firefighters were dispatched at 8:59 a.m. to a fire at the Bryan Stormes residence, located at 410 H St. NW.

When firemen arrived smoke was billowing from a front room and along the roof.

The smoldering fire was quickly doused and the home vented with fans to remove the smoke.

"There was a lot of smoke damage," firefighter Tom Robison said in saying the damage was heavy in the "front room."

The owner and his wife, Chriss, were not at home when the fire broke out. However, they arrived a short time after the fire department arrived on the scene.

Stormes said he had no idea how the fire started. He pointed out that his wife's parents formerly owned the house.

Late Thursday morning, a field investigator from the Indiana State Fire Marshal's office conferred at the scene with Linton Fire Chief Gary Tannehill about the cause of the fire and determined it was electrical.

"It doesn't seem suspicious, but they can't rule out the electrical," Tannehill said. "There was a laptop plugged that looked like it might have been the cause of it -- the plug in."

The fire chief estimated there is extensive damage.

Linton firefighter Tom Roberson breaks out the glass in the Bryan Stormes home, 410 H-Street NW, after a blaze was brought under control. (Greene County Daily World/Nick Schneider)

"The house has got basically smoke and soot damage throughout the house," Tannehill added.

The quick work of the firefighters was lauded by Tannehill.

"They were about a minute getting there the fire was under control within five minutes. The guys did a really good job on it. I was proud of them. They did a good job of getting there and getting it (the fire) out," he said.

Linton firefighter Doug Hall catches a breath after exiting the fire on H-Street Thursday morning. (Greene County Daily World/Nick Schneider) [Order this photo]

Greene County Ambulance personnel were on the scene, but there were no injuries.